The Points of Light Campaign (D&D 4e)

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Adventure #2 WOTC H2 Thunderspire Labyrinth (Level 4)Session #13.01

Earthday, 27th of Fireseek, 2000.

After their brief excursion into the Labyrinth, and the rescue of Mrs. Charrak, the guys head back to the Seven Pillared Hall- and are greeted, by some, rather warily- news of their encounter with the Ordinator Arcanis is already doing the rounds. There aseem to be a variety of interpretations of the events- some say that the adventurers were warning off the Ordinator in a bid for power; while others are of the opinion that the Mages of Saruun have finally turned their back on the inhabitants of the Hall, the adventurers were merely protecting the citizens. The guys talk with Randal Halfmoon, the Halfling they rescued on their way into Thunderspire, he wants to know the truth- what did happen with Orontor? Where have they been? And more’s the point- What’s going on?

In truth the guys are not sure, and so we start this session of our adventures with a sort of ‘state of play’ précis, with questions- and the odd answer. Randal, and the kindly DM, learn the following-

1) The attack, and threats, against the Ordinator Arcanis were a mistake; Dirty is very sorry (yeah right), and he wont do it again. At which point the players stare moon faced at the aforementioned kindly DM, who’s not buying it- at least not yet.

2) There’s another mystery here to be solved, as well as the need to find and return the last two captured citizens of Winterhaven, the guys are convinced they have wandered into a much bigger, and much darker, plot. They are however not quite sure what to make of the clues they have found so far- a pyramid that is a prison, the great stair- wherever it is, and… well, some other stuff…

3) The Tiefling kidnappers that held Mrs. Charrak prisoner said a lot of stuff that has piqued the guy’s interest- the first nugget that set alarm bells ringing for them was the news that Kalarel (the bad guy from KOTS) has a ‘master’. The suggestion is Kalarel’s master is perhaps somewhere close- in the Labyrinth, maybe even Scarmaker? At least that’s what the players think- maybe. Regardless of who Kalarel’s master is, or even was, according to the Tiefling’s, things are a lot more complicated- plans within plans.

4) The Tiefling’s also said that the ‘Shadow will come’; clearly something bad is going to go down- and by the sound of things the Nentir Vale is still under threat. The guys have no idea what ‘the three will become one’ line was all about; or indeed who the Tiefling’s were referring to when they said, ‘my Lord will rule’- the Tiefling’s boss? Who he?

5) The guys however have a minor breakthrough. Phrenic asks Grey what he thought the Tiefling’s meant when they said “the pyramid that the green man made to hold him will serve as his throne’. Grey, or else the guy playing Grey (Iain), grins like a chimp- he has a confession to make, the Wizard found a name in Murkelmor’s black book, a very familiar name, in fact his boss- ‘Nimozaran the Green’. “The green man”, Phrenic helpfully summarises- there follows a short interlude for a very brief bout of recriminations. Phrenic, eventually, makes his point- if any of the guys know anything else that is a ‘secret’ but could help, then about now is the time they should share with the group.

6) But before that can happen Grey takes a guess at the mystery, he thinks- Nimozaran built, or else designed, the pyramid- somehow, and sometime in the past- the Archmage of Fallcrest is fairly ancient. The pyramid is a prison for… Grey doesn’t know who but whoever it is is behind this mystery, the Tiefling’s aforementioned ‘Master’. Last bit- Grey thinks that the next stop on their journey, after resolving their issues in Thunderspire, is Fallcrest- Nimozaran will no doubt have a story to tell. Grey’s certain that the ‘green man’ will have many of the answers the guys are searching for- including the name of whoever is imprisoned within the pyramid. Grey’s theory, although mostly obvious (at least to me), is met with applause from the players- the guys, they believe, at last have a handle on the situation.

7) Kaspard has a confession, Phrenic is not happy, in a ‘not you?’ kinda way. The Priestess of Bahamut tells her fellow adventurers of a terrible place within the Labyrinth- a testing ground for the Minotaur followers of Baphomet, a place of death (in the distant past) for worshippers of the Platinum Dragon. The place is called the ‘Well of Demons’, the guys learned earlier- or else Grey did from Gendar, that the Blackfang Gnolls- and Maldrick Scarmaker lair in a place called ‘the Well’. She presumes the two places are one and the same. The guys have follow up questions, Kaspard alas doesn’t have any follow up answers.

8) Although, from the stories Kaspard read, and was told, back when she was an adept of her order, she knows that the Well of Demons is a place feared by the followers of Bahamut, a place of great shame- and the scene of a terrible defeat. As the title suggests, the place is home to a variety of Demons, or at least so the stories say- the guys are suddenly less happy.

All this chatter does not however help them with their present problems- where the hell is the Well of Demons in the Labyrinth, Kaspard doesn’t know- nor do any of the other adventurers, although… Charrak knows a man who does know the way to the Well. The guys know what’s coming next, and they’re spot on- the man is of course, Vadriar the Sage, who cannot be found.

It all goes a bit glum for a while around the table.

I hang the moment out as long as I can, until James (Phrenic) notices I’m grinning.

Kobold Scout- Mrs. Charrak- She’s got all the answers.

At which point Mrs. Charrak pipes up- she knows where Vadriar is- the guys cheer and whoop with delight- too soon.

Mrs. Charrak goes on- he’s in the Labyrinth, the guys stop cheering.

Gingerly Phrenic asks- “Do you know where in the Labyrinth?”, the Tiefling crosses his fingers and waits for an answer, the players crane in to hear. Mrs. Charrak nods her head, she goes on to explain that Vadriar came to her about ten days ago, for a chat- it seems the pair are the best of friends. The mad Sage, she continues, on his wanderings in the Labyrinth- checking out all of his usual haunts, had found a cavern that contained signs of recent activity- building work. Somebody, Vadriar told her, had constructed, or else unearthed, a great spiral stair…

A little while later, after the cheering has stopped, the guys are swiftly about their business in the Seven Pillared Hall, apologies are made (again and again) to the citizens of the place for the adventurers fateful first meeting with the Ordinator Arcanis. Basically if Orontor should come back while the guys are away then could they please say ‘sorry’ to him on their behalf- and that they would love to exchange info, and to apologise at length, and in person, just as soon as they return.

Freeday, 28th of Fireseek, 2000.

Then, after another night in a comfortable bed in the Inn, the guys- now with two Kobold guides, head back into the Labyrinth. They actually feel like their getting somewhere now.